Sex, Drugs and Democratic Politics

Large Protests (L) Chairman John Burton (M), condom party (R)

Anaheim April 15-17. Marked by violence and insults towards grieving parents whose children had died or been injured, Democrats claimed California as evidence that they were leading the way. In the midst of all this, some of the country's most popular leaders spoke and two rival candidates for U.S. Senate tied to woo the people.

(T to B, L to R) Warren, Frank, Yee, Chiang

Highlights of the
Convention included a Saturday morning address from Elizabeth Warren, along
with speeches from California's Treasurer John Chiang and Lieutenant Governor
Gavin Newsom, California Controller Betty Yee spoke in the afternoon of human
and economics rights. Extensive polling among California voters reveals
that she and John Chiang are the two California State executives with the
highest job approval rating. Also speaking were California’s Attorney
General Kamala Harris and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones. Both of the
latter two have suffered in recent poling. One observer said that, if
Kamala ever did as she said in her human rights address, she would be an
awesome Attorney General. Dave Jones has come under fire for his
support of legislation to remove parents' rights in California. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi also spoke. She has come under fire lately for her pro-war campaign donations and her seeming indifference to human rights. She has repeatedly voted for indefinite detention without rights and for surveillance on Americans. Governor
Jerry Brown showed up on Friday night, possibly afraid to speak at the
Convention after he was protested by anti-frackers on the floor of the convention
in 2014. Though searched and watching
their belongings thrown by security into trash cans, delegates in 2014 had
succeeded in smuggling anti-fracking signs into the convention to hold up while
Jerry spoke. This year, with Jerry not
speaking at the general sessions, security was relaxed. No near strip-searches.

Both Attorney General Kamala Harris and Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez held promotionals between the afternoon session and the Barney Frank dinner. Kamala had cookies. After waiting for her to make a grand entrance, attendees, who waited in line had their pictures taken with Kamala in a roped off area. The photographer was personally provided by the Attorney General, herself. Outside protesters complained that Kamala had failed to do her job as Attorney General, ignoring all her prior campaign promises and focusing solely on prosecuting children and their parents for truancy, protecting gay rights, while ignoring political corruption, homeowners’ rights and the rights of women and children.

Loretta Sanchez showed up with tacos and Margueritas. She arrived as her event started and mingled among the guests. In contrast to Kamala, who came with heavy security, Loretta had no visible security and seemed at home with the crowd. Loretta made a tour of the caucuses, speaking at the Arab-American caucus. In addressing that caucus's prior concerns about her previous pro-Israel comments, she has hired a Palestinian assistant to advise her on issues related to the Palestinians.

At the convention, Loretta spoke of her desire to end human trafficking and of her work in opposition to such trafficking. Her district chief of staff had been advised of the Lexi Dillon child trafficking case but it appeared the information had not gotten to Loretta, who expressed concern over the weekend about Lexi's situation while promising to personally look into the case.

Well over a thousand protesters demanded rights for women and children. The California Democratic Party has recently sponsored legislation to eliminate freedom of choice and freedom of religion with respect to medical treatment. SB 277 is heavily promoted by lobbyists who have spent tens of millions to get the vote eliminating significant patients' rights and medical freedom in California. Most attorneys looking at the SB 277 note that it violates the First, Fourth, Sixth, Eight and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. As all Democratic U.S. Senators except Russ Feingold voted in 2001 for the unpopular PATRIOT Act, SB 277 is par for the course for legislators who listen to lobbyists over people only to risk losing their seats in the next election.

What surprisde and shocked many delegates and observers was the violence and insults some of the delegates levied at grieving parents, whose children had been lost or killed by the drugs with which the Democratic Party were demanding their remaining kids be forcibly injected. Some of the delegates, speaking to parents and children used the "F" word and told the people and children they would "go to hell" for demanding medical freedom. A nursing mother was attacked by one of the delegates.

Standing up for medical freedom the next day, a group of delegates surrounded a microphone to oppose and pull a resolution that would have required forced drugging of any attorney or doctor wanting to take a continuing education course and of all students everywhere in the state. Speaking for the resolution were Richard Pan and Hillary Crosby. Speaking against the resolution were Democratic delegates Ruth Hull and Registered Nurse Donna Macris. Delegate Noelle Foster, who also pulled the resolution to oppose, had immune-deficient children in danger of dying if SB 277 were to become law and they were forced to submit to being injected with live viruses and toxic chemicals found in the SB 277 drugs. Hull and Macris spoke in support of patients’ rights and the importance of informed consent in medical procedures. Macris also spoke of the damage done to children by the drugs mandated under SB 277. The resolution, itself, was stronger than SB 277. It was open-ended in terms of the number of drugs that could be forcibly injected and applied to adults as well as children, basically individuals of all ages. It was unheard of for a resolution with leadership in support thereof to lose all but a few votes in the approval process but roughly 30 to 40% of the delegates voiced their opposition to the resolution.

Throughout the Convention, references were made to one of America's most popular Congresswomen Maxine Waters. Maxine gave a speech in support of the right of Americans to be free from governmental abuses and free from the recent violence perpetrated on innocent unarmed Americans by over-zealous police. She invited people to upcoming rally on behalf of the victims of police shootings.

Ever present in spirit, Bernie Sanders had supporters throughout the convention. Sanders is a top contender for the U.S. Presidency, dramatically outraising most other contenders. Bernie’s supporters have noted that he is honest, refusing to take corporate donations.

The theme of the Convention appeared to be partying, having a good time, mingling and creating mandates requiring California to do what the Party says is in their best interests. Condoms were handed out at the Cocktails, Sex and Politics," hospitality suite. At the end of the three-day event the have-nots who protested the convention went home worrying that the government would take their children away or drug them to death and praying that they could hold onto their jobs and homes. Most convention-goers went their way feeling content, happy, fulfilled spouting pro-drug mantras and feeling assured that all was right with the world.